Animated silhouette picture and method of making same



1934- c. A. FRANCIS 1,969,551

ANIMATED SILHOUETTE PICTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 23.1933 1 112 .'J 10 -11 INVENTOR 3 A TTORNEYJ Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PAT NT ANIMATED SILHOUETTE PICTURE AND 7 METHOD OF MAKING SALIE 4Claims.

This invention relates to silhouette pictures and a method of making thesame and has for its principal objects the production of silhouettes Ihaving, in themselves, an appearance of depth and substance and somounted that an optical illusion of animation of the silhouette figureresults and the illusion of depth and substance is augmented.

A correlative object is the provision of a narrow, sharp line oftransparency on the figure in closely spaced relation to the outline tocreate the effect of high lights and consequent appearance of depth andsubstance.

I Another object of the present invention resides in the method ofmaking such silhouettes whereby they may be made efiiciently,economically; and of uniform quality in large or small quantities.

Other objects and advantages will become ap-' parent from the followingspecification wherein reference is made to the drawing illustrating apreferred embodiment of the present invention and the method ofmanufacture.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a silhouette picture made in accordancewith the present invention and mounted in a manner such that theillusion of animation and depth is created.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l andis taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 thereon.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view illustrating anapparatus suitable for performing the main step in the method ofmanufacture.

Referring to Fig. 1 the invention comprises a piece of glass 1 or othersuitable transparent or translucent material, on one face of which isdisposed a silhouette 2, the silhouette being formed preferably of anopaque substance so as to prevent substantially the passage of alllighttherethrough. The glass is mounted in a suitable frame 3 andpreferably with the silhouette disposed on the rearward face. The frameis of such depth and so arranged that the glass 1 may be mounted inspaced relation forwardly from a backing mat 4, one face of which mat isexposed forwardly so as to be visible through the glass.

Heretofore, when glass, on which images have been painted, has beenmounted, it has been the practice to dispose the glass against or veryclose to the backing mat. In the present invention, however, thecontrary is true, the mat 4 being disposed a sufficient distance to therear of the glass so that a large portion thereof directly behind thesilhouette or image is visible when the silhouette is viewed at a slightangle to the direct line of vision. Assuming the form shown by way ofillustration is actual size, the distance the mat is spaced from thepicture may be about A 'of an inch. As a result, when the picture isdisposed on the wall and exposed to light, a very pronounced andclear-cut shadow 5 of the silhouette is cast on the mat, as indicated inFig. l, in a position in which it may be seen readily by an observerstanding at a distance from the wall.

Again, if the light is at a slight angle from the direct line to thesilhouette, the shadow will be cast suiiiciently far to one side of thesilhouette so as to be clearly visible to an observer directly in front.In either event, therefore, the observer 7 can see a shadow, or a largeportion thereof, cast by the image and clearly conforming to the imageoutline, in fact,a shadow of about the quality that would be cast on thewall by a person walking between the wall and the light a distance outfrom such wall. When viewed from a wider angle to the direct'line orwhen the light is disposed at a greater angle, substantially the entireshadow of the silhouette is visible on the mat. In this manner a verypronounced effect as to depth and substance of the silhouette iscreated.

Since the observers eyes and position Will necessarily shift somewhatupon movement of the observer, the shadow will appear to move relativeto the silhouette, thus creating the effect of animation. Further, if anumber of lights are placed in several diiferent positions in the roomin which the picture is disposed, a multiplicity of shadows of differentintensities and different degrees of distortion as well as overlappingshadows will be clearly visible. If the observer shifts position, andrelative 'anglesof sight change for the respective lights, andconsequently the shadow will move relative to the silhouette and overlapin different relations to produce different and continuously movingresultant patterns which further augment the illusion of animation ofthe silhouette.

Experience has proven that in order to obtain the most pronounced effectfor a single shadow and also clearly distinguished shadows of differentintensities which may partially overlap due to a number of differentlights in the room, it is necessary that the backing mat 4 be of highgrade paper, preferably white or other light color or'for water colorwork, andhaving a soft, unglazed, rough surface such as used for framingmats on pictures, as a slick or smooth finish on the paper tends tocause a glare and reduce the effectiveness and individualcharacteristics of the various shadows. Furthermore, with a rough paperthe per se, yet gives the appearance of greater light near the edge ofthe silhouette, as though a three dimensional body were exposed to lightonthe face exposed edgewise to the observer. This also tends to createthe appearance of depth and substance especially when the silhouette isdisposed.

in front of a light background.

Silhouettes on glass having this line of transparency may be produced ona printing press in the following manner. The silhouette pattern is cuton a linoleum block or any block of yieldable material which willoperate well for printing with printers ink. Such a block, indicated at10, is mounted in a suitable press (for example, a Patten press)preferably of the non-rotary type, and the sheets of glass 1 are fedinto the press in the manner of display cards or similar heavystockprinting paper. These sheets are preferably very uniform thickness,but if desired, a rubber or paper pad 11 or some other yieldablesubstance may be placed beneath the glass in order that it will not besubjected to extreme pressure and broken by the press in case ofslightly greater thickness.

The process should be practiced at a room temperature of 60 to '70degrees, any suitable printing ink being used. The ink, however, shouldhave sufficient varnish content to impartthe required.

tackiness. When the block so inked is-pressed onto the glass it willprovide a clear image. It must be pressed firmly. against the glass andthen lifted as nearly directly normal to the glass as possible forseparation. This operation causes suction between the glass and blockdue to the yieldability of the block and smooth. surface of the glassand upon withdrawal of the block the ink close to the edges of theprinted image and slightly inwardly from the edges, tends to drawinwardly leaving near the edges and substantially entirely around theimage a narrow uninked portion. This action of ink in the generalprinting art and on paper has caused considerable trouble inasmuch asattempts have always been made to make a clear fully filled print. Onpaper, however, because of its absorbing qualities, this effect hascaused a jagged uninked effect near the edge of the type. It is found,however, that on glass, when using ink of sufficient tackiness to adhereto the glass this line is very uniform in width and evenly spacedinwardly from the edge of the image, due to the nonabsorbent qualitiesof the glass and the hard, smooth surface and with such ink, the linecan be controlled by variation of a few degrees in temperature. Thus byactively controlling and using what constituted a defect in ordinaryprinting, a new and striking effect and use is obtained. 7

This line can be varied in several ways, for instance, by an increase ordecrease of about 10 deinkand a wider line, partially inked will resultif the tackinessis decreased or if the room becomes undulywarrn. Withthese effects in mind,

an experienced printer can readily achieve the result herein described afew trials serving to demonstrate clearly the proper degree oftackines's and-room temperature for the desired effect and location ofthe line, after which the conditions can be held constant for theremainder of the-prints.

- Having thus described my invention, I clalm:

1. A method of printingsilhouettes having high lights comprisingapplying printing ink-on the printing face of a silhouette type having a0 yieldable printing face, pressing the type firmly against a smooth,hard, polished surface. of a panel of stock with suflicient pressure tocreate, a suction between the type face and said surface, withdrawingthe type promptly from said surface, whereby a line of transparency isformedon the printed image in closely spaced relation to the marginthereof and conforming closely to the image outline and controlling theconfiguration and quality of the lineof transparency 1-19 by varying thetackiness of=the ink.

2. As a new' article of manufacture, a picture comprising a glass panel,an image thereon of opaque material, a sharp, clearly defined line oftransparency on the image spaced inwardly 1 15 from and closely adjacentto the marginal limit of the image and substantially coextensive there,-with and conforming closely to the adjacent outlin'e of-the image.

. 3, As a new article of manufacture, a silhouette 1-20 picturecomprising a glass-panel, a silhouette image thereon, a narrow sharp,clearly-defined line of transparency on the image spaced inwardly fromand closely adjacent to the mar-' ginal limit of the image andconforming closely to and substantially coextensive with the entireoutline of the image, means having alight wall surface disposed behindthe panel and image-and visible through the panel and through said lineof transparency from a point of observationv in front of thepanel, saidvisible surface having a dull unglazed finish. V U 1- 4. As a newarticle of manufacture, a-picture comprising a panel having a smooth,11216.,11301'? ished surface, an opaque image thereon, a sharp, clearlydefined line of transparency on the image spaced inwardly and closelyadjacent-to the mareginal limit of-the image and conforming'closely tothe outline of the image and substantially coextensive therewith, anyportions of the image bounding uncovered surfaces .of thepanel alsohaving a. lineof transparency spaced closely-adjacent to the margin ofthe image defining. said uncovered surfaces and conforming closely tothe uncoated surface so defined. 1 45 CARL ALEXANDER FRANCIS. I

